Experimental and Numerical Investigations on the Air-Pumping Phenomenon in High-Speed Spur and Helical Gears

Abstract
An approximate hydrodynamic model of the air-lubricant pumping by spur and helical gears, which makes it possible to predict the compression-expansion process by the meshing teeth, is presented. The simulated pressure patterns correlate well with the experimental evidence obtained from a specific test rig for both spur and helical gears. Finally, it is shown that this pumping phenomenon can generate significant power losses, especially for high-speed applications.